jonness

I have a 2001 F150 Off-Road with a 5.7L V8. I went to the rock quarry and requested a yard of spalls. They put in a yard-and-a-half. The scales showed the rocks weighed 3,400 lbs. I drove the truck home, and nothing seemed to break.

What's the real max payload for this truck, and what are the dangers of carrying such a heavy load?

Velosprout

The stated maximum payload for regular safe use, if that is what you are asking, is found on a yellow sticker inside your driver's door that states "maximum of passengers and cargo shall not exceed XXXX pounds" minus the weight of any aftermarket accessories you have added (bedliner, tonneau cover, larger wheels and tires, tool box), and your passengers and yourself. The other way is if the yellow sticker is missing, you will find a second, white sticker that shows maximum GVWR. Weigh you truck empty, subtract that figure from the GVRW, and that is your available payload. Your max payload is probably between 1200 and 2000 pounds, so you were likely 50% to 100% over your rated payload.


In fact, most F250's don't have a payload rating that would accommodate the amount of rocks you hauled and be within specifications. You would have to be in a F350 to accommodate this load.


The dangers of carrying such a heavy load are: potential tire blow-out, suspension and drivetrain wear and/or failure, headlights pointing at the stars, and difficulty steering.


I have certainly overloaded pickup trucks in the past, hauling scrap steel, firewood, hog feed, livestock, seed corn, apples, and machinery parts. However these were usually with older, work-only trucks, within a 30 mile radius, on rural roads at slow speeds.


I would split your loads up to haul less per trip in the future, and if you have many of these loads to haul, find a used 1-ton dump-bed truck.